Indoor Chinese Elm

[cfkid]

Hello everyone. I'm wondering if I could get some advice on getting my Chinese Elm a little more "healthy." I've had this elm for about 4 year and I believe it's about 16 years old at this point. I believe when I got it the smaller branches had more leaves but they seem to have just disappeared over the few years. Sometimes they will bud there, but not often. I have slowly been losing leaves over say the last 6 months, more so in the colder weather.

The tree lives by a fairly thin drafty window most of the time. I have recently moved it to a table with a south facing window and farther from the window so that it doesn't get so cold. It's been indoors since I got it.

Honestly, I've never been that good at trying to shape the tree. I usually just leave it alone, water it 3-4 times a week, and prune it a bit when the growing branches get long. I'd probably prune back the long branches you see in the pictures to 3-4 leaves, if that makes sense at this point.

I don't think the tree is dying, but I'd like to get it more full. I also really don't know if it needs to be re-potted, etc. I've never done it, and am a little afraid of doing it now as I don't want to kill it. I've included a couple of pictures below. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Mark

[tomc]

Ulmus and zelkova are deciduous hearty trees. No dormant cycle, eventually they waste away.

Much more light, then out of doors in the spring. With the pot nested in a garden bed and allowed to slumber next fall.

[cfkid]

Ulmus and zelkova are deciduous hearty trees. No dormant cycle, eventually they waste away.

Much more light, then out of doors in the spring. With the pot nested in a garden bed and allowed to slumber next fall.

Thanks Tom. I'm actually in Northern Kentucky, so fairly close to you. I've never repotted the tree. Do you think there is any need or do you think that it's just that I've never let this guy go dormant?

Mark